Main menu

Post navigation

USB card-sized catalogues

I don’t know how long these have been in the market, maybe for a long time already. What a cute little thing. We had requested some information from a furniture maker in Italy for a client, and besides the regular book-form catalogues, they also sent us the catalogues as PDF files, contained in a USB flash drive. Nothing unusual about that, but it’s the first time I’ve seen this type of flat USB tool, where it’s presented in a credit card or namecard style of form. Pretty nifty.

I imagine you can use it for a whole array of purposes. Not just for businesses as catalogues and corporate gifts but for individuals. For example, job seekers can fill it with their CVs, and not just the document itself, but pictures and videos of their extra-curricular activities. Designers and other artists can use it as portfolios of their selected works. Yes, sure, most designers have websites for that, but I just find the idea cool that when you hand out your namecard to give people your contact details, you can also give them a sample of your work in the same card.

The size of the device as something you can slip into your pocket or wallet is not such a big deal, as the regular USB flash drives are now really small too. Again, it’s just the idea of a namecard and portfolio in the same place that I like. I wonder if namecard printers now provide the service of printing on these ‘USB cards’, and whether these cards are available in the market like stationery shops, for individuals to buy in packs of only a few pieces, say, 5 to 10 pieces. If they are, then we can simply print out our details ourselves on transparent sticker sheets, to paste on these USB cards to serve as our namecards.

On one side

The other side, with the USB plug flipped open. This one contains about 4GB storage capacity.

8 thoughts on “USB card-sized catalogues”

I haven’t seen flash drives in this form, and I agree: very cool. This lends itself so well to presenting a catalog with hundreds or thousands searchable tearsheets. Seems like this would be especially useful to distribute at trade shows. Halim, your blog is truly infotainment! :)

OK, so I just nipped over to wiki to see what definition it gave you for ‘tearsheet’. While it is used (and likely had its beginnings) as proof that an advertisement ran in a publication… I meant it in the sense of a catalog page, as it is used in the furniture industry. If you walk into a furniture store or showroom and see a sofa you like, you can ask for a tearsheet – literally meaning a page “torn” from a catalog – which typically has one or more images of the furniture, or a schematic drawing showing dimensions, available fabrics, wood or metal finishes, etc. I guess I should add this to the wiki… but I confess: I am lazy!

Wow, thanks for taking the time and effort for the detailed explanation. I certainly didn’t get any of that info from the quick search I did at Google. From what I glanced, they were all about the proof of an advertisement thing, haha…

That’s a great thing to have, and I doubt we have such a service here in Singapore, but then again it’s been some years since I last bought furniture from a store. A store here may have a casual brochure and flyer, but at most it just gives a picture and the dimensions. Now I understand better what you mean earlier about the USB card being especially useful for distribution at trade shows :-)

Ok, now that is pretty nifty. You mention that the typical USB drive is small and portable but for people like me, it’s too darn small and portable. I’m constantly putting school work, plan sheets and spec items on them and forgetting which pocket or cubby I left them in. Something like this I would just slip in my wallet like my debit card and I’d always know where it’s at! I need to see if our firm can get these for us! Thanks!!

Oh I know what you mean! I find the typical drive too small too and sometimes misplaced them.

Another blogger Steve just mentioned how this particular form can be useful too. It’s so gratifying when readers find my posts useful, that really makes me happy! So thanks so much for your wonderful comment. I sure hope your firm will get these USB drive for you and your colleagues. Cheers.